Wednesday, August 21, 2013

It
has been such a busy start to the year! In the midst of getting
everything ready for the children academically, I forgot to update you on the
security measures we have in place!

We
will continue to keep our front door locked and you will have to be “buzzed”
into the building. We are asking that all parents please help us by
ensuring that the door closes behind you when you enter or exit the building
and be aware of allowing other adults entering the building with you.
Please also remember to check in with the office anytime you are in the
building, we know that this is an extra step but the safety of our
students is top priority for us!

We
have also had some upgrades to our general security at PCE, including increased
"visibility" of our supervising adults. Adults that are outside
supervising children will have a very bright orange vest on so children will
know who to go to for help. They will also be equipped with Walkie-Talkies
that will call directly into the office if assistance is needed.

We
will conduct at least one safety drill a month throughout the year. Our
drills consist of fire, severe weather, lock-down and lock-out
drills.

The
difference between lock-out and lock-down drills:

Lock-out:
this takes place when there is a "threat" outside of the building.
For example: a gas leak, police activity or a wild animal sighting. This
will include all children coming inside and it will be business as normal until
all is clear outside the building.

Lock-down:
thistakes
place when there is a "threat" inside the building. We will
announce Locks, Lights, Out of Sight! Teachers will lock their doors,
turn out their lights, and all children will be gathered together away from
doors and windows so they cannot be seen.

Teachers
will be aware when we practice ANY drill. They will review rules and
procedures ahead of time and prepare the children for all types of
drills. When the actual drill takes place we will clearly state that it
is time to practice the "type of" safety drill. When we
practice drills there will be no "reenactments" or "actors"
pretending to be bad guys. Our drills are not intended to scare our
children but rather to prepare them for emergencies.

Other
safety procedures we want to remind everyone about are morning and afternoon
drop-off and pick-up.

·There
is NO SUPERVISION on the playground before school---PLEASE do not encourage
your children to play on the playground before school. Walkers, bike
riders and car riders can go to either the front door or the "bus
loop" door and wait for the bell. Those doors will be opened at 8:30
for student arrival.

·Morning Drop-Off:

oParents using the drop-off in the
morning must drop their child off along the curb. This area is two lanes
wide so that parents can stop along the curb and then pull out into the left
lane when exiting. Students should only exit the car on the passenger
side. Parents using this area should always drive as far forward in the
lane as possible before stopping.

·Afternoon
Pick-Up:

oWhen picking students up in this area,
parents SHOULD NOT double park NOR leave the car unattended. Students
should, again, only enter the car on the passenger side from the curb.
There is to be NO PARKING in the drop off lane as it is an emergency vehicle
access lane.

oPlease
remember to pull all the way up in the drop-off zone to pick up your
children. It is a safety concern for our teachers and our students to cut
in the line, or to pull in against traffic flow. We know that the line
can sometimes be long but the safety of our children is worth the wait!

·We
are also encouraging our students to only use the crosswalks when crossing from
the parking lot; please do not walk across the rocks in order to take a
“shortcut” to the main school sidewalk.Please
help us by setting this example when arriving or leaving the school parking
lot. We also do not want children crossing the parking lot by themselves,
please make sure that an adult sees them and can cross them safely.

Keeping
our children safe, healthy and happy is very important to every staff member of
PCE!! Please let us know if you ever have any questions or concerns!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Our first few days have been busy! Thank you to all the families that have come in to meet Dr. Malouff and myself! We are beyond excited to start this school year! As we are talking to parents we are getting a few questions that I would like to address.

Arrival Procedures--Please remember we will only have two doors monitored and supervised in the morning. All children and adults entering the building must use one of these two doors. The front main door will always be supervised and the "bus loop" door will also be supervised in the morning. We will direct all students to the correct doors. Parents please remember to sign in if you will be visiting or volunteering in the classrooms.

We have also had some inquires into band and orchestra for the upcoming year. Band will be occurring on Wednesday afternoons from 3:35 to 4:35 and on Friday mornings from 7:30-8:30. Orchestra will occur on Tuesday and Friday afternoons from 3:35-4:35 and every other Monday in the afternoon from 3:35-4:35. We will have assemblies for 4th and 5th grade students so they can see and hear the instruments available. There will also be a parent information and instrument rental night that is tentatively planned for the night of August 28th at Chaparral High School.

Our back to school night will be next Wednesday evening between 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM. We will start with a meet the staff and new administration in the gym at 5:00 and then our official classrooms visits will continue between 5:30 and 6:30. Come and see some the great things that are already happening at PCE!!

Our theme this year is "Learning is an Adventure!" We are off to a great start of that adventure! I have seen so many smiles, excitement and laughter coming from classes as they are presented with challenges in the classrooms!

This year we will also introduce PBIS to PCE!! PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (http://www.pbis.org/). The philosophy behind PBIS is to provide a"decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and
implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral
practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all
students." One of the structures put in place is common language for the staff and the students--usually in a format that is easy to remember for kids. Our behavior acronym is to show our Wolf PRIDE. Positive attitude, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Effort. Throughout the year teachers and staff will reinforce positive behaviors in choices students make with something called a "WOLF PRIDE TICKET"

As children earn these tickets at school they will be recognized over the intercom and become eligible for a "monthly drawing". This is our way of recognizing great choices and outstanding behavior!

Friday, August 9, 2013

Welcome to a new year at Prairie Crossing! We are all so excited to have the students' energy and laughter fill the halls again! Dr. Malouff and I have been working hard to make sure everything is perfect for the students to return to classes. As you know we have a new administrative team this year including myself as principal and Dr. Jennifer Malouff as Assistant Principal. We would also like to welcome a few new staff members to our PCE family!

Mrs. Kimberly Bennett joins our 5th grade team this year. She most recently taught as a 4th grade teacher and interventionist at Sage Canyon Elementary in Castle Rock.

Mrs. Mandie McQueen joins the 1st grade team this year. Most recently she worked as an EA right here at PCE! Don't recognize the name?? That is because Mrs. McQueen is a newlywed!! She celebrated her wedding this summer and changed from Mandie Fahrenbruch to Mandi McQueen! Welcome back, Mrs. McQueen!

Mr. Brett St. Germain joins our specials team as our new art teacher! Brett recently graduated from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. This is his first of teaching. He has many great ideas to engage students! We are excited to have him join our staff.

Mrs. Jennifer Kendall will be our new librarian! She is very excited to start the year and make the library a "hub of learning for students".

Ms. Kimberly Bowen will support our classroom teachers as one of our newest EAs.

Mrs. Brenda Holmstedt will join us as an EA support for our 5/6 combo class.

Mrs. Fran Fuller is returning this year to continue supporting our Special Education Department!

Our entire staff has been preparing this week for the students' return! We have made a few changes to some of our routines. Please note that we will now only have two doors open in the morning when students arrive. We will have our main entrance doors and the northwest doors (between the green and blue pods) near the bus loop open and supervised by staff every morning. We are making this slight change to increase safety and security for our students. Thank you in advance for your help in this change!

Remember to come out to our FroYo social on Monday night! Dr. Malouff and I are looking forward to meeting everyone!